Livingstone may rejoin Labour

Ken Livingstone renewed his plea to rejoin the Labour Party amid reports that he could be installed as its candidate for the London mayoral elections.

The London mayor said he would return to the Labour fold if the Prime Minister opened the door.

Reports in the Guardian newspaper say Tony Blair has signalled a way back should be found for Mr Livingstone, who left the party to stand as an independent for the post of mayor.

Mr Livingstone said: "If I am offered I will take it."

He told the BBC: "I think both the Prime Minister and myself recognise we are not going to change each other, we have learned to accept each other. If I am the Labour candidate next summer it doesn't mean I am supporting the war against Iraq, it won't mean he supports everything I say about President Bush. In the grown-up world you have got to accept the fact politicians don't all believe the same thing."

Mr Livingstone also has the support of some London Labour MPs who fear the party faces another heavy defeat unless he is its candidate.

That would mean ditching Labour's democratically elected candidate, Nicky Gavron.

Jon Cruddas (Dagenham) said the party had to be "pragmatic and rational" and replace Ms Gavron with Mr Livingstone.

"Looking at it in a coldly pragmatic way I think there is a lot to be said for Ken as our candidate," he told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme. I think it would bring in support and allow us to rally around. It is not just the mayoral elections, there is the European elections and the Greater London Authority elections and we have got to maximise the Labour vote."

Mr Cruddas said Mr Livingstone and Mr Blair had a "very, very good" personal relationship. But Tory candidate Steve Norris warned Mr Livingstone he would find it harder to be re-elected mayor under the Labour banner.